Pedro Claros

Partner

Pedro is a partner in our Dispute Resolution group and co-heads the firm’s international arbitration practice. He has extensive experience as lead counsel in international arbitrations, both institutional and ad hoc. He specialises in investment arbitration. He has also sat as arbitrator before the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Court of Arbitration of Madrid (Official Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madrid), the Arbitration Centre of the Lima Chamber of Commerce (Perú), as well as in ad hoc arbitrations.

Pedro's experience includes representing investors in the renewable energy sector in investment arbitrations under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) in different fora, in particular before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC). He has formally notified investment disputes to the European Union under the ECT for non-European clients in relation to energy regulatory measures in different European jurisdictions.

Pedro has widely acted in Latin American cases. He has represented investors acting in investment arbitrations against the Republic of Perú, the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Cuba. He has represented a South American state before Spanish courts in procedures for enforcement of ICSID awards, as well as in bondholders’ claims. He has represented a Latin American national bank for the recognition and enforcement of an ICC arbitral award against another Latin American state agency, coordinating actions in eight jurisdictions. He has defended a Spanish company in two high-value arbitration cases for the acquisition of a Brazilian group of companies, winning damages over the sellers’ contractual liability, who further sought vacatur of the awards in judicial proceedings in New York on the grounds of lack of impartiality of the President of the Arbitral Tribunal. He has represented one of the biggest Argentinian utility companies for a construction project in Argentina in an ICC arbitration.

His educational background includes a Degree in Economics, which makes him suitably qualified for economic, tax, financial and damages analyses. Pedro is identified by commentators as "an exceptionally good lawyer, extremely smart, very strategic and conducted the hearing perfectly” (Chambers Latin America 2017), “very hard worker and fantastic in general” (Chambers Latin America 2016), “extremely accomplished lawyer" (Chambers Latin America 2015), “very hard-working and extremely knowledgeable” (Chambers Global 2014). According to Legal500 Latin America (2013), "hardworking, knowledgeable, smart and aggressive, Madrid-based Pedro Claros provides true value for money, with one client noting ‘it is a pity I did not start working with him years earlier’.”

Pedro qualified in 1997 and joined DAC Beachcroft in 2018. He is fluent in English.